Quality assurance (QA) testing is essential to the product development cycle. Software, applications, and other programs need to be carefully assessed by qualified professionals, not just to catch defects but also to evaluate the functionality, usability, and other features.

Like most areas of the tech world, QA testing is changing every day, with new processes and innovations introduced regularly. What will the software testing process look like in 2020? Here are our predictions.

The presence of artificial intelligence will increase

Artificial intelligence (AI) has fast become integral to automated testing. It serves a number of purposes, from improving the speed at which tests can be conducted to spotting errors that the human eye can’t catch. Through machine learning, AI can assist in categorizing bugs, assessing the quality of the tests themselves, prioritizing cases to determine which ones need the most attention, helping ensure that the requirements of the product are met, predicting user behavior, and much more.

AI won’t replace humans — not in 2020, anyway — but it can work with QA testers to improve efficiency and address other organizational goals.

Big Data will dominate

Vast amounts of information are being produced at a rapid speed and are now omnipresent, so software QA services have an important task on their hands. They’ll need to both ensure that any products that generate and use Big Data are up to par, as well as find ways of processing them efficiently and accurately.

With Big Data being generated in a range of important industries, including healthcare, retail, insurance, finance, and many others, QA testing will increasingly become essential. It will help ensure that the tools these sectors use have minimal bugs and that any products they create meet users’ expectations and protect their privacy and security.

There will be greater automation

Along with integrating AI into automated testing, 2020 will see an increase in the very concept of automation itself. Again, it won’t replace manual testing — QA will need them to script tests and perform assessments that require a personal touch, such as evaluating the usability of the product.

However, automation is a great way of performing repetitive tasks more efficiently than humans can. One example of this kind of repetition is regression testing, which is meant to confirm that software changes have not adversely affected existing functions.

Automation has long been important in the QA landscape, and this year, it will become even more so. Manual testers will work with the technology to deliver fast, accurate results.

Testers will need to be able to adapt to changes

While approaches like DevOps and Agile often improve the results of products, they also demand greater flexibility and the ability to change course at a moment’s notice, all when maintaining efficiency. As these methods gain traction, QA testers will need to be willing to work hard and deviate from the original plan, as well as map out various possibilities for testing scenarios and predict potential holdups.

There will be an emphasis on testing niches

QA testing covers an enormous spectrum of products and focuses, including security, usability, functionality, and more. Products such as software, applications, networks, systems, and others need to be rigorously assessed by experts before they’re launched or used. In 2020, we’ll see a greater focus on certain areas of testing and products to be tested.

For example, given the ever-mounting threat of cybercrime, QA testing services will need to carefully assess products in terms of cybersecurity, whether they’re making sure transactions are conducted safely or helping protect consumer data that will be exchanged or generated.

There will be a particular focus on products of the Internet of Things, which generate an enormous amount of data, as well as software that uses blockchain, which is being applied to industries beyond cryptocurrency.

With all the changes to QA testing on the horizon in 2020, one thing is clear: testing isn’t going anywhere. Products will need to undergo a rigorous and careful QA process before they’re launched, requiring the expertise of dedicated professionals — not just software developers doing double duty. The testing cycle requires the skills of people who are well-versed in testing procedures, as well as the obstacles that accompany them.

The new year is full of opportunities for software development. Make sure your products are up to par by thoroughly evaluating them according to the latest and greatest trends and procedures.